ITEM PHOTO BY KATIE MORRISON
Jonathan Mola of St. Mary’s drives to the basket.
By KATIE MORRISON
LYNN — Many of the Agganis boys basketball all-stars haven’t hit the court in a high-pressure game since their high school seasons ended in February or March. But watching the 13th annual Agganis All-Star Boys Basketball game at Lynn Classical High on Monday night, you’d never know it.
Some of the best talent from the North Shore and beyond was on display, and the all-stars gave the crowd a show, with the North hanging on for a 87-83 win.
The game was tight throughout with plenty of lead changes. The North sprinted out to a 9-3 lead as the South team got its bearings, but the home team rallied and Malden’s Nathaniel Ilebode’s (6 points) layup knotted the game at 9-9.
After the South subbed out its starters, the North went on a little run with its second team. Methuen’s Andrew Marcelino nailed a three to make it 21-12 North.
That’s when Marblehead’s Patrick Bugler took over for the South, and helped the home team close the gap. Bugler, who racked up 12 points (eight coming in the first half), hit a layup and two free throws to help the South climb back into the game and eventually grab a 32-28 lead with about four minutes to play in the half.
The North took back the lead as Whittier’s Jamison Santos (11 points) put back a rebound to make it 33-32. Bugler responded with two free throws and a layup. The South went into halftime on a high note, as South MVP Matt Waggett (Saugus) snatched a defensive rebound and flung a pass to Bugler at the other end of the court. Bugler delivered to make it 40-37 South.
The game was back-and-forth throughout the early part of the second half, at least until the North found its rhythm from beyond the arc. Once it did, the momentum swung. The North knocked down three after three, and while the South was responding, it wasn’t finding the same success from three-point range. The North built up a 72-65 lead with 4:30 to play.
Then all of a sudden, St. Mary’s Jonathan Mola took charge. Mola had only two points through the first half and added a few more early in the second. But he turned it on for seven points in the final four minutes, ending as the South’s leading scorer with 14 points. His former Spartans teammate and South team point guard Jonny Mercado helped facilitate the scoring and added five points of his own in the closing minutes.
Despite the best efforts of Mola, Mercado and Malden’s Bernard Taylor, who finished with 13 points and six in the second half, the North didn’t slow its scoring pace. The trio of Hamilton-Wenham’s Nicholas DiMarino (7 points), North MVP Louis Ellis of Lynnfield and Beverly’s Patrick Gavin (5 points), the visitors staved off the South’s comeback. Ellis, the game’s high scorer with 17 points, added seven points late, and Santos and Marcelino hit big threes to add to the North’s lead.
Mercado hit a three with time running out, but it wouldn’t be enough for the South.
The loss didn’t spoil the good feeling for Waggett, however, as he scored 11 points and was big on the boards for the home team. After playing on Saugus’ JV team just a year ago, Waggett said it was a boost to his confidence to earn the award.
“Definitely didn’t expect this. I was on JV last year, actually, so after a lot of work in the summer and stuff, it feels good to get this,” Waggett, who’ll attend Clark University in the fall, said. “Having this be the last time I’m playing in high school and representing Saugus, it feels great going into college like that.”
On the other bench, Ellis, who’s bound for Endicott, said despite the fact that it was an all-star game, he knew his team was hungry to win.
“It’s awesome. It goes to show the hard work really does pay off,” Ellis said of winning the MVP. “Playing in these games may not always seem like a big deal, but these guys on the blue team wanted to win this game, they wanted it bad. I know I did too. We just did what we needed to to win, it was a team effort. Playing with them was an adjustment at first, but we’re all basketball players with that basketball IQ and we had that chemistry going toward the end.”